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Nene Valley colour-coated wares

Fine table wares in a pale fabric with darker colour coat, often decorated with barbotine or painted decoration, produced in the Nene valley (Hunts/GB) and widely distributed across Britain during the 2nd to 4th centuries AD.

Fabric and technology

Hard, smooth-textured fabric with finely irregular fracture; white to off-white (e.g. 7.5YR 7/6-8) orange-yellow (7.5YR 5/6) or darker grey or brown core with variable slip colour, dark brown to black, mottled lighter orange or orange-brown where thinner; abundant very fine quartz sand (visible at x20) and occasional larger quartz grains, red or orange and black flecks and occasional pale clay pellets (some streaking of these, and orange/black flecks, in the matrix); decoration includes barbotine (both under and over the slip), rouletting, grooving, folding and some use of moulds – roughcasting almost unknown.

Chronology

Production of colour-coated wares from mid-2nd cent., probably in the hands of immigrant (Lower Rhineland?) craftsmen. Some influence from East Gaulish sigillata industries during early 3rd cent. Production continues until end of 4th cent.

Source

The Lower Nene Valley, centered on Water Newton.

Distribution

Extent of mapped distribution incomplete due to confusion with other wares (e.g. Lower Rhineland imports and Colchester colour-coated wares) in older literature. Has been identified in Antonine groups from Verulamium and northern frontier. Probably most extensive during 3rd cent. prior to rise of Oxfordshire industry, but continues to hold large proportion of total market in eastern England into later 4th cent. partly due to production of ‘coarse ware’ forms.

References

Dannell 1973. Dannell, G. B., ‘The potter Indixivixus’ in Current research in Romano-British coarse pottery: papers given at a C.B.A. Conference held at New College, Oxford, March 24 to 26, 1972, ed. A. Detsicas, Research reports/Council for British Archaeology, 10, Council for British Archaeology, London, (1973), pp. 139-42.